Visit Seattle · 6 days ago
Director, Travel Trade & Tourism Development
Seattle, Washington, United States
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$120K/yr - $150K/yr
5+ years expVisit Seattle is a private, non-profit destination marketing organization serving Seattle and King County. The Director, Travel Trade & Tourism Development is responsible for implementing tourism strategies and leading the tourism development team to enhance Seattle's global positioning and product placement in key markets.
Hospitality
Responsibilities
Develop and execute strategic plans in conjunction with marketing, communication and membership divisions to promote, position and elevate Seattle and King County as a premier leisure destination offering by the travel trade
Lead Visit Seattle’s travel trade distribution strategy, ensuring strong destination product placement across airline, tour operator, receptive, and wholesale channels in priority domestic and international markets
Oversee and be actively engaged in daily operations of the tourism development team to maximize productivity and ensure industry leading, collaborative and prompt responses for our clients and hospitality community
Manage all administrative areas related to tourism development, including goals and incentives, measurement systems, effective and innovative client development initiatives, CRM, reporting, data integrity, budget management and team compliance
Manage in-market representation agencies as warranted to support international tourism objectives
Maintain expert-level knowledge of destination assets
Stay informed on local and industry developments, initiatives, data, and trends
Proactively identify challenges and ambitiously work to address them
Serve as an industry expert related to international travel trends, headwinds and opportunities
Analyze all business reports and data to drive continuous improvement
Take on additional strategic projects as needed and as assigned
Lead, coach, and inspire the tourism development team
Conduct regular strategy sessions, one-on-ones, and team meetings
Establish clear goals, performance expectations, and incentives aligned with organizational priorities
Attract, develop, engage and retain top talent critical to Visit Seattle’s success
Role-model Visit Seattle’s core values: Inclusion, Impact, Commitment, and Excellence
Foster a positive, high-performance culture focused on service, accountability, innovation, and measurable impact
Remove barriers to success, streamline processes, and ensure rapid response to client opportunities
Develop and oversee departmental budgets in collaboration with department leaders, ensuring efficient resource allocation and achievement of revenue and engagement targets
Represent Visit Seattle in professional organizations, partner collaborations, at trade shows, client events, and sales missions as needed
Prepare and deliver reports and updates representing Visit Seattle tourism development at industry and community programs
Foster relationships with the Seattle and King County hospitality community and Visit Seattle membership
Collaborate closely with key industry partners including the Port of Seattle and Washington State Tourism
Establish and maintain key relationships with airlines, tour operators, receptive tour operators and wholesalers related to key markets
Qualification
Required
Minimum 5 years of domestic & international travel trade market development experience
Prior experience working directly with travel trade distribution channels (airlines, tour operators, wholesalers, or receptive operators required
Deep knowledge of destination tourism development strategies
Visionary leadership with the strong ability to inspire, motivate, and develop teams
A curious leader who displays consistent critical, collaborative, and thoughtful thinking
Strong financial and business acumen, including budget management
Exceptional communication and presentation skills; ability to engage effectively with diverse audiences
Outstanding leadership, communication, and organizational skills
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Collaborative and innovative mindset aligned with Visit Seattle's core values of Inclusion, Impact, Commitment, and Excellence
Willingness to travel and work evenings/weekends as required
Valid passport
Preferred
Proficiency in CRM systems and data-driven analytics
Active participation in tourism development/travel trade organizations preferred
Benefits
15 days of Paid Time Off to start
12 paid office holidays
1 Personal Holiday
100% medical, dental, and vision coverage paid for by Visit Seattle
Visit Seattle will cover 75% of premium for family coverage
An organization-paid ORCA card
Subsidized parking in the building’s garage (restrictions apply)
Reimbursed for monthly cell phone expenses
401(k) with up to a 5% organization match
Company
Visit Seattle
Visit Seattle, a private, nonprofit marketing organization, has served as Seattle/King County’s official destination marketing organization (DMO) for more than 50 years.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Ali Daniels
SVP / CMO
Kelly Saling
SVP & Chief Sales Officer
Company data provided by crunchbase